Lee Kang-in makes his debut for Atletico in front of over 50,000 Korean fans... Team suffers a stunning 3-1 comeback defeat to Manchester City [Sangam On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in (25), who transferred to Spanish powerhouse Atletico Madrid, played his debut match for the club in front of Korean fans.

On the afternoon of the 9th at Seoul World Cup Stadium during the 2026 Coupang Play Series match against Manchester City, Lee Kang-in was substituted into the game in the 18th minute of the second half, wearing the Atletico Madrid jersey for his first appearance.

Having left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on the 25th via a transfer fee of up to 40 million euros (approximately 6.53 billion won), Lee Kang-in had remained in Korea unable to depart due to documentation issues related to military service benefits.

Subsequently, when Atletico Madrid visited Korea for the 2026 Coupang Play Series, Lee Kang-in joined the team upon his arrival on the 7th.

Having first participated in team training against Manchester City two days before the match, Lee Kang-in was included in the substitution list and prepared for his Atletico debut.

News of Lee Kang-in's Atletico debut filled the stadium that day with intense excitement reminiscent of a national team A-match.

Near the stadium, it was easy to spot fans wearing Atletico jerseys, including those with "Lee Kang-in" printed on them; in fact, the official Atletico support area was filled with fans donning the club's kit. The official attendance that day was 50,078.

And Lee Kang-in finally made his Atletico debut after being substituted into the match in the 18th minute of the second half while his team trailed 1-2.

Immediately upon entering the field, Lee Kang-in demonstrated his presence with sharp left-footed free kicks and continued to apply aggressive forward pressing, earning enthusiastic applause from fans. However, he failed to register an attacking point in front of Korean supporters. In the 30th minute of the second half, a cutback from the wing was connected with a non-stop left-footed shot that narrowly missed the goal, leaving him to swallow his disappointment.

Lee Kang-in's Atletico debut ended in shadow as his team suffered a painful comeback defeat. Although Atletico scored first late in the first half, they conceded consecutive goals in the second half and could not overcome this deficit even after Lee's substitution, ultimately losing 3-1 to Manchester City with their heads bowed.

Atletico Madrid started with Ademola Lookman and Carlos Martin as the front-line striking duo. Ovidiu Burca, Koke, Morten Hjulmand, and Rodrigo Mendez formed the midfield line. David Hancko, Robin Le Normand, Jorge Dominguez, and Dani Martinez lined up in defense, while Jan Oblak guarded the goal.

Manchester City deployed Omar Marmoush leading a second line of Antoine Semenyo, Phil Foden, and Savinho. Leroy Sane and Mateo Kovacic coordinated in midfield. Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Vitinha Haynes, and Matheus Nunes formed the defensive line, with Gianluigi Donnarumma protecting the goal.

Manchester City seized early control of the match, increasing ball possession from the start to create opportunities. However, they struggled to convert these chances into goals. In the 23rd minute of the first half, Semenyo's left-footed mid-range shot from the right side of the arc missed the target, and Foden's mid-range shot in the 40th minute deflected off a defender and went out.

While focusing on counterattacks following defensive plays, Atletico Madrid actually scored first in the 43rd minute of the first half. Following a corner kick, a chaotic situation developed in front of goal; the ball flowed into space behind the defense and created a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. Jorge Dominguez calmly finished the chance. Lee Kang-in, watching from the bench, smiled broadly and applauded.

Manchester City had a powerful mid-range shot by Semenyo in stoppage time of the first half that narrowly missed the goalpost, leaving them to swallow their disappointment. Atletico responded with a shot from Lookman, but it also failed to result in a goal.

In the second half, Manchester City continued their offensive pressure and finally equalized in the 12th minute. Semenyo, who had been active throughout the first half but struggled to create scoring opportunities, finally delivered. After recovering the ball near the touchline on the left wing, he sent a cross into the box which Marmoush finished.

With momentum on their side, Manchester City turned the match around just two minutes later. Once again, Semenyo positioned on the left wing broke through the defensive line and delivered a cross into the box, which Marmoush converted with a shot to secure another goal.

However, at the moment of the pass from behind, Semenyo was clearly in an offside position. Atletico players pointed simultaneously at the large screen displaying the replay, protesting vigorously, but referee Kim Jong-hyeok's decision to award the goal stood unchanged.

Subsequently, Lee Kang-in was substituted into the match in the 18th minute of the second half. Immediately upon entering the field, he directly targeted the opponent's goal with sharp left-footed free kicks. However, his shots missed the target.

Playing as a front-line striker alongside Lookman and Martin, Lee Kang-in disrupted the opposing defense through intense forward pressing. Even while remaining in advanced positions, he moved broadly across the wings and midfield, positioning himself at the center of Atletico's attacks. After Lee's substitution, Atletico's offensive pace began to increase.

In the 26th minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in created a scoring opportunity with an accurate pass from midfield toward the left wing. This pass led to a header chance following a cross from the flank. Thereafter, Lee actively positioned himself at the center of team attacks, striving to create opportunities for an equalizer. He also earned applause from fans by breaking free from two defenders' marking through effective off-the-ball movement.

In the 30th minute of the second half, Lee Kang-in directly targeted the opponent's goal himself. A cutback arriving from the left wing was connected with a non-stop left-footed shot in front of the goal. However, the shot narrowly missed the goalpost, leaving him to swallow his disappointment. This was the moment when his debut goal for Atletico Madrid was unfortunately denied.

Atletico Madrid sought an equalizer centered around Lee Kang-in. However, Manchester City's defense never allowed a goal. Instead, late in the second half, Manchester City sealed the match with a counterattack goal by Rayan Ait-Nouri. Ultimately, the referee's final whistle ended the match with a 3-1 defeat for Atletico Madrid.

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*This content was translated by AI.